The Red Headed Step-Children of the shave world

Reading the posts on the forums, I sometimes believe that certain worthy shaving implements and accessories are treated by the general shaving community like they're 'red headed step-children'. Regardless of how many times they're praised, they're never really accepted in the community as a whole.

Two examples that come to my mind immediately are:

1) Injector Razors -

I've used many types of razors, ranging from cheap to really expensive ones, and if you had to ask me which were the best shaving implements overall, I'd have to say it is an Injector - probably the E-G Type Schicks.

They're medium aggressive, more nimble than any DE or SE razor, and they'll give you a great shave with no fuss.....every time!

But, while they have proponents on each forum, most people seem to ignore them. Is it because of their visual relationship to cartridge razors? Or is it because the shave is so repeatably good that it's not exciting anymore? I have no idea, but I keep feeling that Injectors should get more respect. For example, they're an excellent choice for a newbie razor.

2) Horsehair brushes -

When you ask for a recommendation of a cheap brush, you'll get several people saying 'Tweezerman' or 'Semogue boar' or even 'Colonel X2L'.

I've used all those brushes, and they're great, but an $18 Vie-Long horsehair (the Peleon) will out-perform them any day of the week, and it will feel great on the face too.

Horsehair brushes have excellent lathering capabilities, nice backbone and soft tips. You lose nothing when compared to middle of the road badger brushes, and you spend a lot less. Also, this is a humane brush, as the hairs are harvested without harming the horse.

They work better than most badger or boar brushes, and they're cheaper, but you only rarely see threads about them on the forums. So what's the reason here? Too cheap? Not exotic enough?

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Is there anything else I missed? Let us know if there's some product out there that doesn't get the attention it deserves.

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EDIT: Please note that YMMV, and my recommendations here are based on personal experience - they won't work for everyone.

IMHO, the reason both injector razors and horse hair brushes don't get the attention they deserve is the same; they are not as available as DEs and boar/badger brushes.

I've been wet shaving for a while now and I never tried injectors, because even if I buy a razor, I think it will be hard to find good blades. That is the reason for me. But after reading your review about their performance, I reconsider..

I couldn't agree more with your post Yohann. I love my Schicks!! They are the red headed step children of the shave world and provide one of the best shaves available. That's one of the many reasons why I love the nook. There are lots of Schick users here. For anyone who'd like to try a Schick, get in on the SA World Tour here.

I've never really considered an injector, I guess I thought the blades would be harder to find.

My next brush purchase will be a Vie-Long horse hair brush. I'm thinking about the 13061. Although that is not set in stone yet...

http://shavenook.com/thread-schick-adjus...world+tour

Sign up and try it Wimcad and anyone else who wants to give an injector a shot

I used a Schick injector in the late 60's and early 70's before making the switch to carts. I liked the injector better than the electric my parents had given me, but carts gave me a better shave with fewer nicks, especially since I was using canned foam.

(05-22-2012, 05:28 AM)njpaddy Wrote: I used a Schick injector in the late 60's and early 70's before making the switch to carts. I liked the injector better than the electric my parents had given me, but carts gave me a better shave with fewer nicks, especially since I was using canned foam.

We all have different reactions to shaving implements and products, so it's nice to see a variety of them being still available. I know a lot of guys at work who use cartridge razors and enjoy the shaves. Nothing wrong with that.

For those of us who can't or don't want to use cartridges, it's nice to have other options. The Injectors are one of those options but they don't receive much hype on the forums.

Your post brings up another point - most people who are 'returning' to wetshaving do so from the cartridge razor world. The Injector is so much like a cartridge razor that their adjustment period should be minimal.

Of course, YMMV - so it's not going to work for everyone. Still, I think they deserve some more attention.

(05-22-2012, 03:50 AM)staggerlee Wrote: IMHO, the reason both injector razors and horse hair brushes don't get the attention they deserve is the same; they are not as available as DEs and boar/badger brushes.

I've been wet shaving for a while now and I never tried injectors, because even if I buy a razor, I think it will be hard to find good blades. That is the reason for me. But after reading your review about their performance, I reconsider..

Well, horsehair brushes are increasingly available at the same online stores where most of us do our shopping. Bullgoose carries a bunch of them, and several other vendors do too. So they're out there now.

Injectors are only available in the used market, but there are a lot of them out there. They tend to survive in good shape too. You can even find a lot of them in NOS shape.

As for blades - that's a YMMV thing. I find it refreshing that there are only a few sources of injector blades. They're all pretty good, though the Chinese Schicks are my favourite. The ones available at drugstores in the US are also really good. Sometimes the bewildering range of DE blades can get to be overwhelming.

The fact that there are fewer blades to choose from actually makes these a good starter razor --- much less complicated than adopting a DE.

Yohann, interesting thread.

I've never used a Schick Injector, imagining that they were the earliest incarnation of cartridge systems. When I got back in DE's, (after almost 40 years), I simply moved back to vintage Gillettes (You can't teach and old dog...). After spending sometime on forums, I realize that they are really much more akin to SE's than carts. Thanks, I'll have to give them a whirl some day.

I was intrigued with horsehair, being an older technology and had picked up a Vie-Long Barber Brush from Gifts and Care last year. Although it's a handsome, well-crafted brush, I always ended up with some face burn so have been reluctant to go back to the horse. I realize that the barber brush has a high percentage of the scrubbier tail hair to help support it's high loft, so perhaps a brush with more mane hair would be the way to go.

I use a Schick Injector in my rotation. A Vie Long horse hair brush will be the next brush I add to my nook.

As it has been pointed out Schick Injector has many reasons that it is over passed. I also think that is due in part that Schick has always been #2 behind Gillette. The Injector has a very loyal following.

Horsehair brushes I think are now coming into the mainstream of the shaving community. This is do in part to forums discussing the brushes.

It is great that there is lively discussion about other products,
that might go on noticed. There will always be products that will fall in line behind the more popular ones.

(05-22-2012, 06:32 AM)redrako Wrote: Yohann, interesting thread.

.... Thanks, I'll have to give them a whirl some day.

I was intrigued with horsehair, being an older technology and had picked up a Vie-Long Barber Brush from Gifts and Care last year. ......

There are many injector models. The later ones are pretty mild, and I prefer the earlier E through G series. They're a bit more aggressive, and they look more 'vintage' (to address one of Howler's points).

Which horsehair pro did you get? The one with the mixed horse/boar hair is very prickly. I didn't find the pure horsehair pro to be prickly at all.

However, they treat the hairs on their non-pro brushes somehow....making them softer at the tips. That's what I've read anyway, and certainly my 13061M is super-soft.

A cheaper one to try would be the Sardinero. It's a nice brush.

Schick SE - Main reasons they are not mention often is there is no current injector being made. This prohibits new people making the transition from new to vintage. Second is blade availability. Mail order only in most locations. I used Schicks growing up. Tossed most of them when blade availability became scarce. This was before the age of the Internet shopper. Switched to DE and now have enough blades to last a lifetime. Have no desire to add more razors and blades to the cabinet.

Horsehair brushes- up until recently they were only available overseas from one or two sources. Shipping more then doubled the cost in some cases. Now that more domestic retailers are carrying them you are seing more buzz on the forums. Phil has done a great job being an advocate by basing his LE on them.

Another step-child is preshave oil. It is deemed unnecessary and a waste of time, effort, and money, especially by minimalists. However, I and a number of other experienced shavers can testify that such an oil mix - whether commercial or homemade - can contribute significantly to a smoother, more comfortable shave.

I think SEs in general, injectors included, fall into this category. The SE blades, as mentioned, get a bad rep too just because there aren't hundreds to try. I believe they work so well in general, YMMV, that not much variety is needed. That said, I'd still be interested in seeing another manufacturer try to improve on them.

I have the sardinero, I like it a lot. I would like to have a slightly larger knot, so the 13061 is in my sights.

Just bought a horsehair brush a few weeks ago and it is one of my favorites though I could not tell you why. I haveno interest in injectors, however, and that is for purely aesthetic reasons. Just don't like the way they look. Highly irrational.

i have given the injector razors a try, the Adjustable and E series, TWICE, but, unfortunately for me, i could not get on well with the blades.

i am waiting on a Vie-long horsehair brush to see what they are like.

Which is the softer of the two brushes, the 13061 or the 13061M?

I like the tips on the 13061M better. I'm going off memory here on the 13061, but I feel that the 13061M has softer tips and more backbone.

Hmmm let me get an email to the enabler and see if I can change my order